As I have passed through the various seasons of life, I have watched people being broken over and over again. Sometimes that brokenness is so severe that it takes months or even years to heal or get through; and some times one can only get through it with special help or counsel. At other times, it may not be as severe, but it just keeps coming back. How many times will it be Lord? Will it be just like the number of times we are to forgive others; 70 x 7.
Does brokenness mean something like falling down and experiencing broken bones? It could mean that. Does it mean broken health? It may mean exactly that on some occasions. Is it a mind that is broken down mentally so as not to be able to function properly, or to a point that one needs to call a therapist? Maybe for some it will.
Brokenness could mean that Christ has to get us to reach a certain point in our journey that we are not able to carry on without the help of someone. And maybe it means that some will have to die for His greater glory.
For several of us a couple of weeks ago, it meant getting on a plane and going to Nicaragua where we could see and understand first hand what suffering means. We watched poor little starving children; with sadness in their eyes tell a story of a different kind of brokenness. Often our brokenness, comes about because of too much to eat, or so much wealth and fortune that we do not know what to do with. We have so many things lying around our house, that we trip over them, not knowing how to use things He has given us for His glory.
I honestly don’t know if I can tell you what it means to be a broken vessel, but I can tell you this. We had the perfect example of brokenness to come down to earth to teach us how to deal with it. Isaiah tells us about a man who grew up like a bud or a stem out of dry ground. He had no beauty that would attract anyone to him. He was not attractive, nor was there anything about him that would make us desirous of Him. Therefore He was despised and rejected. He was a man who had to deal with much suffering and sorrow. Everyone avoided looking at Him, but it has been made very clear that He took on himself all of our pain our suffering, and our brokenness. He carried it on his shoulders all the way to Calvary. Yet, we continue to ignore Him just as the people around Him did long ago. He was rejected; no one gave him worthy esteem. He was bruised, injured by man and humiliated. He was crushed and ground down and sent to the tomb for all our rebellion and sin. So now we ask you Lord, what would you have us take from all of this? A.W. Tozer stated “He wants nothing less from us, than all.”
One thing I am beginning to learn, Jesus said, “ if you truly want to be my disciple, you must pick up the cross daily and follow after me. “ Although it is certainly possible, we are probably not going to die off on some foreign field serving Him. However, we must be willing to die if that is the cross that he lays upon us. His cup was the taste of death. No greater love has mortal man than that a friend should lay down his life. That is exactly what He did for each of us. He chose to die so, that we might continue to live. God help us to be that kind of willing servant.
Dock Caton 02/25/12
